Protecting Children’s Dental Care Access Amid Policy Changes

By
Brandy J. Lipton
May 12, 2026
0 min

Jama Network Open

Objective:

To assess the impacts of anticipated Medicaid disenrollment on pediatric dental care, specifically focusing on health outcomes and costs following the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA).

Key Findings:

Projected loss of Medicaid coverage could lead to 95,800 additional cases of dental caries and 27,100 quality-adjusted life-years lost over 10 years.
$86.5 million in additional health care costs anticipated due to coverage losses.
Despite Medicaid's EPSDT benefit, only about half of eligible children receive dental services annually.

Interpretation:

The findings suggest that coverage losses under OBBA may worsen existing access issues in pediatric dental care, resulting in increased morbidity and healthcare expenditures.

Limitations:

Estimates depend on assumptions regarding the implementation of work requirements and their effects on coverage.
State-level variability in OBBA implementation may significantly influence outcomes.
Projections may not fully account for caregiver exemptions and their potential mitigating effects.

Conclusion:

To enhance oral health outcomes and reduce costs, it is crucial to safeguard children's Medicaid coverage and implement comprehensive policy measures that improve access to dental care.

Protecting Children’s Dental Care Access Amid Policy Changes

Objective:

Key Findings:

Interpretation:

Limitations:

Conclusion:

Original Source(s)

Protecting Children’s Dental Care Access Amid Policy Changes

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